The Ministry of Production authorized the start of the first anchovy fishing season on May 13 in the north-central zone of Peru, as part of the resumption of activities after the state of emergency due to the coronavirus (Covid-19).

According to Ministerial Resolution No. 147-2020-PRODUCE, the maximum catch limit established by the sector for this season has been set at 2.413 million tons.

The fishing industry is ready for the start of its operations and thus contribute to the economic reactivation of the country, helping to generate the resources that the country requires to face the coronavirus, reported the president of the National Fisheries Society (SNP), Cayetana Aljovín .

In response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus the President of the Peru has declared a national state of emergency for 15 days starting 16/03/2020. This emergency decree has introduced exceptional measures including the closure of all our borders and a mandatory social quarantine for 15 days. This means we can only leave our homes to purchase food and medicines, and seek emergency medical services. Essential services including production and the distribution of food, water, medicine, health services, banking, energy and communications amongst others, will continue without interruption.

The Ministry of Production (Produce) reported that during 2019 the fishing destined for direct human consumption had a positive balance when registering a growth of 11.8% compared to the previous year. This happened because the landing volume closed at 1.3 million metric tons.

This result, it was reported, represents the highest after four years and responds mainly to the greater landing of resources destined for the frozen and canned industry.

Today the Ministry of Production officially decreed by ministerial resolution N° 015-020-PRODUCE the end of the second fishing season 2019 for the Northern central zone.

The decision to close the season was based on the considerations given by IMARPE. where the institute advises the high presence of juvenile population. this measures is taken in order to assure the sustainability of the resource.

At least 150 fishermen from Chimbote, Barranca, Huacho, Ilo and Piura have refused to embark as a protest measure to demand that the Ministry of Production (Produce) decree the closure of the second season of industrial fishing.

The seamen made a seedling at Malabrigo's dock since last Thursday and slept in this place at night as an act of rejection of the production issued by Produce on December 31.

Peru’s anchovy catches in the first season were 4.6 percent below average landings of the past five years.

In general, fish landings in the year through July fell 22 percent compared with the same period last year, despite July alone seeing flat catches year-on-year.

The fall in anchovy landings is due to the several mini-bans imposed during the season and the lower quota.

The Ministry of Production (Produce) concluded the First Fishing Season 2019 of anchovy and white anchovy in the North-Central Zone.

The measure is effective from 00:00 on July 31, 2019, and was published via Ministerial Resolution No. 329-2019-PRODUCE in the Official Gazette El Peruano.

The text details that in this season 2.01 million tons of anchovy were captured, a figure that represents 95.87% of the maximum maximum allowable catch limit.

Peru's Ministry of Production on Friday officially announced the first season of the country's anchovy harvest in north-central waters will begin on May 4, with a quota of 2.1 million metric tons, according to the country's official news agency, Andina.
 

The quota is  lower than last year 3.3 millions metric tons because of the impact generated by the warming of the waters off the Peruvian coast due to the El Niño phenomenon.